GE PortaColor Schematics Needed

[andy]

...

[Findm-Keepm]

An AA chassis GE - born in Portsmouth, VA, like me! Another American in Paris, oh gee....

Andy is correct - the little box would be about 3x4 inches, and can only be accessed by removing the back, as you have to unclasp it from inside the back. I'm not sure if the 13" sets had the box, but the 17" and 19" had it.

Attached is a PDF of the common AA/AB/AC chassis problems. They are all close cousins, and the griplet (Eyelets) problem plagued them and their earlier cousin, the EC chassis. We bypassed the griplets with 30 gauge wirewrap wire, attaching it with little dabs of RTV to hold it in place. Others have a scrape-and-solder method. Your choice.

Parts? I've got some. Sorry, no CRT or CRT board. EP##X## is the part number format, and if you don't have what you need, well, lemme know. I can zoom 'em to Paree like them 2SC1034's - I still have a couple should you need them.

Cheers,

[Findm-Keepm]

I probably have the Sams, but will not be able to check until tomorrow afternoon, as I have a church breakfast in the morning.

Furthering my earlier post, the two griplet repair methods (not my authorship!):

* Method 1: Clean the coating from around each griplet on both sides of the
board to expose the surrounding copper pad. Apply liquid solder flux to the
cleaned copper. Solder so as to bridge the griplet to the cleaned copper.

* Method 2: Do the above but desolder the griplet and place a wire through it
so that the wire extends beyond the griplet to the copper foil and solder
the wire on both sides (this was the final fix GE used in this chassis).


There were Lots of problems with resistors opening up with no exterrnal symptoms. GE later switched to a less forceful insertion method on the AC and PC chassis to solve the problem. Check the resistance on the CRT cathode resistors and the G1/G2 resistors - they could be the only problem....

Cheers,

[JCFitz]

I might have the schematics that were in the back of the sets if yours are missing. Guilty technician as charged..lol.

Actually these are pulls from junkers. I have several in a drawer in the shop.

[Findm-Keepm]

Originally Posted by JCFitz

I might have the schematics that were in the back of the sets if yours are missing. Guilty technician as charged..lol.

Actually these are pulls from junkers. I have several in a drawer in the shop.

What's to feel guilty about? Just about all of us kept them until we had the whole AA/AB/AC chassis line. I've got a PC-A Chassis mini-manual right by the computer, and it says nothing about returning it to the set, but instead offers "Service Infromation for Technician" right under the words "Mini-Manual"

The owners would be surprised for sure to know the service lit was included with the set...

Remember Motorola Quasar sets that had the alignment tool clipped to the chassis by the convergence board? Very few sets remain, and I bet only a few have their tool still clipped to the chassis.....

Cheers,

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by Findm-Keepm

What's to feel guilty about? Just about all of us kept them until we had the whole AA/AB/AC chassis line. I've got a PC-A Chassis mini-manual right by the computer, and it says nothing about returning it to the set, but instead offers "Service Information for Technician" right under the words "Mini-Manual"

The folded schematics in TV sets I remember did have a note on them "property of the customer" or "should remain with the set" or similar. I know I have a bunch of those from Sony TVs that I junked in the early 1980s.

[Findm-Keepm]

Originally Posted by ChrisW6ATV

The folded schematics in TV sets I remember did have a note on them "property of the customer" or "should remain with the set" or similar.

Removed from some "-2" and "-3" suffix manuals, and completely gone with the advent of the "PC" and "PM" series chassis. At one GE Service Training I attended, the lead presenter (who wasn't a tech) said a California legal case (ironically, involving photocopiers) made them remove the verbiage and add a serviceman disclaimer. My PC-A Mini-Manual says "Service Information for Technician Use Only" and "Accessible from Inside TV Set only"

Apparently, the California case was a liability issue, where a customer attempted to fix the copier him/herself and was injured. The accessiblity of the service guide/manual was the key to the case. GE lawyers took note, and the mini-manual became a "for the servicer-only" product.

Ain't tort law just wonderful?

GE stopped putting the manual in the later PC chassis series - cost cutting, I'm sure. Another irony - other than a few Tektronix sales presentations, GE was the only one that didn't charge for the food/lunch provided at the service seminars. The place was always packed...

Cheers,